The Poetical Works of John Skelton :: :: University of Virginia Library

Eterno mansura die dum sidera fulgent,
Æquora dumque tument, hæc laurea nostra virebit:
Hinc nostrum celebre et nomen referetur ad astra,
Undique Skeltonis memorabitur alter Adonis.

Arectyng my syght towarde the zodyake,
The sygnes xii for to beholde a farre,
When Mars retrogradant reuersyd his bak,
Lorde of the yere in his orbicular,
Put vp his sworde, for he cowde make no warre,
And whan Lucina plenarly did shyne,
Scorpione ascendynge degrees twyse nyne;

171

In place alone then musynge in my thought
How all thynge passyth as doth the somer flower,
On euery halfe my reasons forthe I sought,
How oftyn fortune varyeth in an howre,
Now clere wether, forthwith a stormy showre;
All thynge compassyd, no perpetuyte,
But now in welthe, now in aduersyte.

So depely drownyd I was in this dumpe,
Encraumpysshed so sore was my conceyte,
That, me to rest, I lent me to a stumpe
Of an oke, that somtyme grew full streyghte,
A myghty tre and of a noble heyght,
Whose bewte blastyd was with the boystors wynde,
His leuis loste, the sappe was frome the rynde.

Thus stode I in the frytthy forest of Galtres,
Ensowkid with sylt of the myry mose,
Where hartis belluyng, embosyd with distres,
Ran on the raunge so longe, that I suppose
Few men can tell now where the hynde calfe gose;
Faire fall that forster that so well can bate his hownde!
But of my purpose now torne we to the grownde.

Whylis I stode musynge in this medytatyon,
In slumbrynge I fell and halfe in a slepe;

172

And whether it were of ymagynacyon,
Or of humors superflue, that often wyll crepe
Into the brayne by drynkyng ouer depe,
Or it procedyd of fatall persuacyon,
I can not wele tell you what was the occasyon;

But sodeynly at ones, as I me aduysed,
As one in a trans or in an extasy,
I sawe a pauylyon wondersly disgysede,
Garnysshed fresshe after my fantasy,
Enhachyde with perle and stones preciously,
The grounde engrosyd and bet with bourne golde,
That passynge goodly it was to beholde:

Within it, a prynces excellente of porte;
But to recount her ryche abylyment,
And what estates to her did resorte,
Therto am I full insuffycyent;
A goddesse inmortall she dyd represente;
As I harde say, dame Pallas was her name;
To whome supplyed the royall Quene of Fame.

The Quene of Fame to Dame Pallas.

Prynces moost pusant, of hygh preemynence,
Renownyd lady aboue the sterry heuyn,
All other transcendyng, of very congruence

173

Madame regent of the scyence seuyn,
To whos astate all noblenes most lenen,
My supplycacyon to you I arrect,
Whereof I beseche you to tender the effecte.

Not vnremembered it is vnto your grace,
How you gaue me a ryall commaundement
That in my courte Skelton shulde haue a place,
Bycause that his tyme he studyously hath spent
In your seruyce; and, to the accomplysshement
Of your request, regestred is his name
With laureate tryumphe in the courte of Fame.

But, good madame, the accustome and vsage
Of auncient poetis, ye wote full wele, hath bene
Them selfe to embesy with all there holl corage,
So that there workis myght famously be sene,
In figure wherof they were the laurell grene;
But how it is, Skelton is wonder slake,
And, as we dare, we fynde in hym grete lake:

For, ne were onely he hath your promocyon,
Out of my bokis full sone I shulde hym rase;
But sith he hath tastid of the sugred pocioun
Of Elyconis well, refresshid with your grace,
And wyll not endeuour hymselfe to purchase
The fauour of ladys with wordis electe,
It is sittynge that ye must hym correct.

174

Dame Pallas to the Quene of Fame.

The sum of your purpose, as we ar aduysid,
Is that our seruaunt is sum what to dull;
Wherin this answere for hym we haue comprisid,
How ryuers rin not tyll the spryng be full;
Better a dum mouthe than a brainles scull;
For if he gloryously pullishe his matter,
Then men wyll say how he doth but flatter;

And if so hym fortune to wryte true and plaine,
As sumtyme he must vyces remorde,
Then sum wyll say he hath but lyttill brayne,
And how his wordes with reason wyll not accorde;
Beware, for wrytyng remayneth of recorde;
Displease not an hundreth for one mannes pleasure;
Who wryteth wysely hath a grete treasure.

Also, to furnisshe better his excuse,
Ouyde was bannisshed for suche a skyll,
And many mo whome I cowde enduce;
Iuuenall was thret parde for to kyll
For certayne enuectyfys, yet wrote he none ill,
Sauynge he rubbid sum vpon the gall;
It was not for hym to abyde the tryall.

In generrall wordes, I say not gretely nay,
A poete somtyme may for his pleasure taunt,

175

Spekyng in parablis, how the fox, the grey,
The gander, the gose, and the hudge oliphaunt,
Went with the pecok ageyne the fesaunt;
The lesarde came lepyng, and sayd that he must,
With helpe of the ram, ley all in the dust.

Yet dyuerse ther be, industryous of reason,
Sum what wolde gadder in there coniecture
Of suche an endarkid chapiter sum season;
How be it, it were harde to construe this lecture;
Sophisticatid craftely is many a confecture;
Another manes mynde diffuse is to expounde;
Yet harde is to make but sum fawt be founde.

The Quene of Fame to Dame Pallas.

Madame, with fauour of your benynge sufferaunce,
Vnto your grace then make I this motyue;
Whereto made ye me hym to auaunce
Vnto the rowme of laureat promotyue?
Or wherto shulde he haue that prerogatyue,
But if he had made sum memoryall,
Wherby he myght haue a name inmortall?

To pas the tyme in slowthfull ydelnes,
Of your royall palace it is not the gyse,
But to do sumwhat iche man doth hym dres:
For how shulde Cato els be callyd wyse,
But that his bokis, whiche he did deuyse,
Recorde the same? or why is had in mynde
Plato, but for that he left wrytynge behynde,

176

For men to loke on? Aristotille also,
Of phylosophers callid the princypall,
Olde Diogenes, with other many mo,
Demostenes, that oratour royall,
That gaue Eschines suche a cordyall.
That bannisshed was he by his proposicyoun,
Ageyne whome he cowde make no contradicyoun?

Dame Pallas to the Quene of Fame.

Soft, my good syster, and make there a pawse:
And was Eschines rebukid as ye say?
Remembre you wele, poynt wele that clause;
Wherfore then rasid ye not away
His name? or why is it, I you praye,
That he to your courte is goyng and commynge,
Sith he is slaundred for defaut of konnyng?

The Quene of Fame to Dame Pallas.

Madame, your apposelle is wele inferrid,
And at your auauntage quikly it is
Towchid, and hard for to be debarrid;
Yet shall I answere your grace as in this,
With your reformacion, if I say amis,
For, but if your bounte did me assure,
Myne argument els koude not longe endure.

As towchyng that Eschines is remembred,
That he so sholde be, me semith it sittyng,
All be it grete parte he hath surrendred

177

Of his onour, whos dissuasyue in wrytyng
To corage Demostenes was moche excitynge,
In settyng out fresshely his crafty persuacyon,
From whiche Eschines had none euacyon.

The cause why Demostenes so famously is brutid,
Onely procedid for that he did outray
Eschines, whiche was not shamefully confutid
But of that famous oratour, I say,
Whiche passid all other; wherfore I may
Among my recordes suffer hym namyd,
For though he were venquesshid, yet was he not shamyd:

As Ierome, in his preamble Frater Ambrosius,
Frome that I haue sayde in no poynt doth vary,
Wherein he reporteth of the coragius
Wordes that were moch consolatory
By Eschines rehersed to the grete glory
Of Demostenes, that was his vtter foo:
Few shall ye fynde or none that wyll do so.

Dame Pallas to the Quene of Fame.

A thanke to haue, ye haue well deseruyd,
Your mynde that can maynteyne so apparently;
But a grete parte yet ye haue reseruyd
Of that most folow then conseqently,
Or els ye demeane you inordinatly;
For if ye laude hym whome honour hath opprest,
Then he that doth worste is as good as the best.

178

But whome that ye fauoure, I se well, hath a name,
Be he neuer so lytell of substaunce,
And whome ye loue not ye wyll put to shame;
Ye counterwey not euynly your balaunce;
As wele foly as wysdome oft ye do avaunce:
For reporte ryseth many deuerse wayes:
Sume be moche spokyn of for makynge of frays;

Some haue a name for thefte and brybery;
Some be called crafty, that can pyke a purse;
Some men be made of for their mokery;
Some carefull cokwoldes, some haue theyr wyues curs;
Some famous wetewoldis, and they be moche wurs;
Some lidderons, some losels, some noughty packis;
Some facers, some bracers, some make great crackis;

Some dronken dastardis with their dry soules;
Some sluggyssh slouyns, that slepe day and nyght;
Ryot and Reuell be in your courte rowlis;
Maintenaunce and Mischefe, theis be men of myght;
Extorcyon is counted with you for a knyght;
Theis people by me haue none assignement,
Yet they ryde and rinne from Carlyll to Kente.

179

But lytell or nothynge ye shall here tell
Of them that haue vertue by reason of cunnyng,
Whiche souerenly in honoure shulde excell;
Men of suche maters make but a mummynge,
For wysdome and sadnesse be set out a sunnyng;
And suche of my seruauntes as I haue promotyd,
One faute or other in them shalbe notyd:

Eyther they wyll say he is to wyse,
Or elles he can nought bot whan he is at scole;
Proue his wytt, sayth he, at cardes or dyce,
And ye shall well fynde he is a very fole;
Twyshe, set hym a chare, or reche hym a stole,
To syt hym vpon, and rede Iacke a thrummis bybille,
For truly it were pyte that he sat ydle.

The Quene of Fame to Dame Pallas.

To make repungnaunce agayne that ye haue sayde,
Of very dwte it may not well accorde,
But your benynge sufferaunce for my discharge I laid,
For that I wolde not with you fall at discorde;
But yet I beseche your grace that good recorde
May be brought forth, suche as can be founde,
With laureat tryumphe why Skelton sholde be crownde;

180

For elles it were to great a derogacyon
Vnto your palas, our noble courte of Fame,
That any man vnder supportacyon
Withoute deseruynge shulde haue the best game:
If he to the ample encrease of his name
Can lay any werkis that he hath compylyd,
I am contente that he be not exylide

Frome the laureat senate by force of proscripcyon;
Or elles, ye know well, I can do no lesse
But I must bannysshe hym frome my iurydiccyon,
As he that aquentyth hym with ydilnes;
But if that he purpose to make a redresse,
What he hath done, let it be brought to syght;
Graunt my petycyon, I aske you but ryght.

Dame Pallas to the Quene of Fame.

To your request we be well condiscendid:
Call forthe, let se where is your clarionar,
To blowe a blaste with his long breth extendid;
Eolus, your trumpet, that knowne is so farre,
That bararag blowyth in euery mercyall warre,
Let hym blowe now, that we may take a vewe
What poetis we haue at our retenewe;

To se if Skelton wyll put hymselfe in prease
Amonge the thickeste of all the hole rowte;

181

Make noyse enoughe, for claterars loue no peas;
Let se, my syster, now spede you, go aboute;
Anone, I sey, this trumpet were founde out,
And for no man hardely let hym spare
To blowe bararag tyll bothe his eyne stare.

Skelton Poeta.

Forthwith there rose amonge the thronge
A wonderfull noyse, and on euery syde
They presid in faste; some thought they were to longe;
Sume were to hasty, and wold no man byde;
Some whispred, some rownyd, some spake, and some cryde,
With heuynge and shouynge, haue in and haue oute;
Some ranne the nexte way, sume ranne abowte.

There was suyng to the Quene of Fame;
He plucked hym backe, and he went afore;
Nay, holde thy tunge, quod another, let me haue the name;
Make rowme, sayd another, ye prese all to sore;
Sume sayd, Holde thy peas, thou getest here no more;
A thowsande thowsande I sawe on a plumpe:
With that I harde the noyse of a trumpe,

That longe tyme blewe a full timorous blaste,
Lyke to the boryall wyndes whan they blowe,

182

That towres and townes and trees downe caste,
Droue clowdes together lyke dryftis of snowe;
The dredefull dinne droue all the rowte on a rowe;
Some tremblid, some girnid, some gaspid, some gasid,
As people halfe peuysshe, or men that were masyd.

Anone all was whyste, as it were for the nonys,
And iche man stode gasyng and staryng vpon other:
With that there come in wonderly at ones
A murmur of mynstrels, that suche another
Had I neuer sene, some softer, some lowder;
Orpheus, the Traciane, herped meledyously
Weth Amphion, and other Musis of Archady:

Whos heuenly armony was so passynge sure,
So truely proporsionyd, and so well did gree,
So duly entunyd with euery mesure,
That in the forest was none so great a tre
But that he daunced for ioye of that gle;
The huge myghty okes them selfe dyd auaunce,
And lepe frome the hylles to lerne for to daunce:

In so moche the stumpe, whereto I me lente,
Sterte all at ones an hundrethe fote backe:
With that I sprange vp towarde the tent
Of noble Dame Pallas, wherof I spake;
Where I sawe come after, I wote, full lytell lake

183

Of a thousande poetes assembled togeder:
But Phebus was formest of all that cam theder;

Of laurell leuis a cronell on his hede,
With heris encrisped yalowe as the golde,
Lamentyng Daphnes, whome with the darte of lede
Cupyde hath stryken so that she ne wolde
Concente to Phebus to haue his herte in holde,
But, for to preserue her maidenhode clene,
Transformyd was she into the laurell grene.

Meddelyd with murnynge the moost parte of his muse,
O thoughtfull herte, was euermore his songe!
Daphnes, my derlynge, why do you me refuse?
Yet loke on me, that louyd you haue so longe,
Yet haue compassyon vpon my paynes stronge:
He sange also how, the tre as he did take
Betwene his armes, he felt her body quake.

Then he assurded into this exclamacyon
Vnto Diana, the goddes inmortall;
O mercyles madame, hard is your constellacyon,
So close to kepe your cloyster virgynall,
Enhardid adyment the sement of your wall!
Alas, what ayle you to be so ouerthwhart,
To bannysshe pyte out of a maydens harte?

184

Why haue the goddes shewyd me this cruelte,
Sith I contryuyd first princyples medycynable?
I helpe all other of there infirmite,
But now to helpe myselfe I am not able;
That profyteth all other is nothynge profytable
Vnto me; alas, that herbe nor gresse
The feruent axes of loue can not represse!

O fatall fortune, what haue I offendid?
Odious disdayne, why raist thou me on this facyon?
But sith I haue lost now that I entended,
And may not atteyne it by no medyacyon,
Yet, in remembraunce of Daphnes transformacyon,
All famous poetis ensuynge after me
Shall were a garlande of the laurell tre.

This sayd, a grate nowmber folowyd by and by
Of poetis laureat of many dyuerse nacyons;
Parte of there names I thynke to specefye:
Fyrste, olde Quintiliane with his Declamacyons;
Theocritus with his bucolycall relacyons;
Esiodus, the iconomicar,
And Homerus, the fresshe historiar;

Prynce of eloquence, Tullius Cicero,
With Salusty ageinst Lucius Catelyne,
That wrote the history of Iugurta also;

185

Ouyde, enshryned with the Musis nyne;
But blessed Bacchus, the pleasant god of wyne,
Of closters engrosyd with his ruddy flotis
These orators and poetes refresshed there throtis;

Lucan, with Stacius in Achilliedos;
Percius presed forth with problemes diffuse;
Virgill the Mantuan, with his Eneidos;
Iuuenall satirray, that men makythe to muse;
But blessed Bacchus, the pleasant god of wyne,
Of clusters engrosed with his ruddy flotes
These orators and poetes refreshed their throtes;

There Titus Lyuius hymselfe dyd auaunce
With decadis historious, whiche that he mengith
With maters that amount the Romayns in substaunce;
Enyus, that wrate of mercyall war at lengthe;
But blessyd Bachus, potenciall god of strengthe,
Of clusters engrosid with his ruddy flotis
Theis orators and poetis refresshed there throtis;

Aulus Gelius, that noble historiar;
Orace also with his new poetry;
Mayster Terence, the famous comicar,
With Plautus, that wrote full many a comody;
But blessyd Bachus was in there company,
Of clusters engrosyd with his ruddy flotis
Theis orators and poetis refresshed there throtis;

186

Senek full soberly with his tragediis;
Boyce, recounfortyd with his philosophy;
And Maxymyane, with his madde ditiis,
How dotynge age wolde iape with yonge foly;
But blessyd Bachus most reuerent and holy,
Of clusters engrosid with his ruddy flotis
Theis orators and poetis refresshed there throtis;

There came Johnn Bochas with his volumys grete;
Quintus Cursius, full craftely that wrate
Of Alexander; and Macrobius that did trete
Of Scipions dreme what was the treu probate;
But blessyd Bachus that neuer man forgate,
Of clusters engrosed with his ruddy flotis
These orators and poetis refresshid ther throtis;

Poggeus also, that famous Florentine,
Mustred ther amonge them with many a mad tale;
With a frere of Fraunce men call sir Gagwyne,
That frownyd on me full angerly and pale;
But blessyd Bachus, that bote is of all bale,
Of clusters engrosyd with his ruddy flotis
Theis orators and poetis refresshid there throtis;

Plutarke and Petrarke, two famous clarkis;
Lucilius and Valerius Maximus by name;
With Vincencius in Speculo, that wrote noble warkis;

187

Propercius and Pisandros, poetis of noble fame;
But blissed Bachus, that mastris oft doth frame,
Of clusters engrosed with his ruddy flotis
Theis notable poetis refresshid there throtis.

And as I thus sadly amonge them auysid,
I saw Gower, that first garnisshed our Englysshe rude,
And maister Chaucer, that nobly enterprysyd
How that our Englysshe myght fresshely be ennewed;
The monke of Bury then after them ensuyd,
Dane Johnn Lydgate: theis Englysshe poetis thre,
As I ymagenyd, repayrid vnto me,

Togeder in armes, as brethern, enbrasid;
There apparell farre passynge beyonde that I can tell;
With diamauntis and rubis there tabers were trasid,
None so ryche stones in Turkey to sell;
Thei wantid nothynge but the laurell;
And of there bounte they made me godely chere,
In maner and forme as ye shall after here.

Mayster Gower to Skelton.

Brother Skelton, your endeuorment
So haue ye done, that meretoryously
Ye haue deseruyd to haue an enplement

188

In our collage aboue the sterry sky,
Bycause that ye encrese and amplyfy
The brutid Britons of Brutus Albion,
That welny was loste when that we were gone.

Poeta Skelton to Maister Gower.

Maister Gower, I haue nothyng deserued
To haue so laudabyle a commendacion:
To yow thre this honor shalbe reserued,
Arrectinge vnto your wyse examinacion
How all that I do is vnder refformation,
For only the substance of that I entend,
Is glad to please, and loth to offend.

Mayster Chaucer to Skelton.

Counterwayng your besy delygence
Of that we beganne in the supplement,
Enforcid ar we you to recompence,
Of all our hooll collage by the agreament,
That we shall brynge you personally present
Of noble Fame before the Quenes grace,
In whose court poynted is your place.

Poeta Skelton answeryth.

O noble Chaucer, whos pullisshyd eloquence
Oure Englysshe rude so fresshely hath set out,
That bounde ar we with all deu reuerence,
With all our strength that we can brynge about,
To owe to yow our seruyce, and more if we mowte!

189

But what sholde I say? ye wote what I entende,
Whiche glad am to please, and loth to offende.

Mayster Lydgate to Skelton.

So am I preuentid of my brethern tweyne
In rendrynge to you thankkis meritory,
That welny nothynge there doth remayne
Wherwith to geue you my regraciatory,
But that I poynt you to be prothonatory
Of Fames court, by all our holl assent
Auaunced by Pallas to laurell preferment.

Poeta Skelton answeryth.

So haue ye me far passynge my meretis extollyd,
Mayster Lidgate, of your accustomable
Bownte, and so gloryously ye haue enrollyd
My name, I know well, beyonde that I am able,
That but if my warkes therto be agreable,
I am elles rebukyd of that I intende,
Which glad am to please, and lothe to offende.

So finally, when they had shewyd there deuyse,
Vnder the forme as I sayd tofore,
I made it straunge, and drew bak ones or twyse,
And euer they presed on me more and more,
Tyll at the last they forcyd me so sore,
That with them I went where they wolde me brynge,
Vnto the pauylyon where Pallas was syttyng.

190

Dame Pallas commaundid that they shold me conuay
Into the ryche palace of the Quene of Fame;
There shal he here what she wyl to hym say
When he is callid to answere to his name:
A cry anone forthwith she made proclame,
All orators and poetis shulde thider go before,
With all the prese that there was, lesse and more.

Forthwith, I say, thus wandrynge in my thought,
How it was, or elles within what howris,
I can not tell you, but that I was brought
Into a palace with turrettis and towris,
Engolerid goodly with hallis and bowris,
So curiously, so craftely, so connyngly wrowght,
That all the worlde, I trowe, and it were sought,

Suche an other there coude no man fynde;
Wherof partely I purpose to expounde,
Whyles it remanyth fresshe in my mynde.
With turkis and grossolitis enpauyd was the grounde;
Of birrall enbosid wer the pyllers rownde;
Of elephantis tethe were the palace gatis,
Enlosenged with many goodly platis

Of golde, entachid with many a precyous stone;
An hundred steppis mountyng to the halle,
One of iasper, another of whalis bone;

191

Of dyamauntis pointed was the rokky wall;
The carpettis within and tappettis of pall;
The chambres hangid with clothes of arace;
Enuawtyd with rubies the vawte was of this place.

Thus passid we forth, walkynge vnto the pretory,
Where the postis wer enbulyoned with saphiris indy blew,
Englasid glittering with many a clere story;
Iacinctis and smaragdis out of the florthe they grew:
Vnto this place all poetis there did sue,
Wherin was set of Fame the noble Quene,
All other transcendynge, most rychely besene,

Vnder a gloryous cloth of astate,
Fret all with orient perlys of Garnate,
Encrownyd as empresse of all this worldly fate,
So ryally, so rychely, so passyngly ornate,
It was excedyng byyonde the commowne rate:
This hous enuyrowne was a myle about;
If xii were let in, xii hundreth stode without.

Then to this lady and souerayne of this palace
Of purseuantis ther presid in with many a dyuerse tale;
Some were of Poyle, and sum were of Trace,
Of Lymerik, of Loreine, of Spayne, of Portyngale,

192

Frome Napuls, from Nauern, and from Rounceuall,
Some from Flaunders, sum fro the se coste,
Some from the mayne lande, some fro the Frensche hoste:

With, How doth the north? what tydyngis in the sowth?
The west is wyndy, the est is metely wele;
It is harde to tell of euery mannes mouthe;
A slipper holde the taile is of an ele,
And he haltith often that hath a kyby hele;
Some shewid his salfecundight, some shewid his charter,
Some lokyd full smothely, and had a fals quarter;

With, Sir, I pray you, a lytyll tyne stande backe,
And lette me come in to delyuer my lettre;
Another tolde how shyppes wente to wrak;
There were many wordes smaller and gretter,
With, I as good as thou, Ifayth and no better;
Some came to tell treuth, some came to lye,
Some came to flater, some came to spye:

There were, I say, of all maner of sortis,
Of Dertmouth, of Plummouth, of Portismouth also;
The burgeis and the ballyuis of the v portis,
With, Now let me come, and now let me go:
And all tyme wandred I thus to and fro,

193

Tyll at the last theis noble poetis thre
Vnto me sayd, Lo, syr, now ye may se

Of this high courte the dayly besines;
From you most we, but not longe to tary;
Lo, hither commyth a goodly maystres,
Occupacyon, Famys regestary,
Whiche shall be to you a sufferayne accessary,
With syngular pleasurs to dryue away the tyme,
And we shall se you ageyne or it be pryme.

When they were past and wente forth on there way,
This gentilwoman, that callyd was by name
Occupacyon, in ryght goodly aray,
Came towarde me, and smylid halfe in game;
I sawe hir smyle, and I then did the same;
With that on me she kest her goodly loke;
Vnder her arme, me thought, she hade a boke.

Occupacyoun to Skelton.

Lyke as the larke, vpon the somers day,
Whan Titan radiant burnisshith his bemis bryght,
Mountith on hy with her melodious lay,
Of the soneshyne engladid with the lyght,
So am I supprysed with pleasure and delyght
To se this howre now, that I may say,
How ye ar welcome to this court of aray.

194

Of your aqueintaunce I was in tymes past,
Of studyous doctryne when at the port salu
Ye fyrste aryuyd; whan broken was your mast
Of worldly trust, then did I you rescu;
Your storme dryuen shyppe I repared new,
So well entakeled, what wynde that euer blowe,
No stormy tempeste your barge shall ouerthrow.

Welcome to me as hertely as herte can thynke,
Welcome to me with all my hole desyre!
And for my sake spare neyther pen nor ynke;
Be well assurid I shall aquyte your hyre,
Your name recountynge beyonde the lande of Tyre,
From Sydony to the mount Olympyan,
Frome Babill towre to the hillis Caspian.

Skelton Poeta answeryth.

I thanked her moche of her most noble offer,
Affyaunsynge her myne hole assuraunce
For her pleasure to make a large profer,
Enpryntyng her wordes in my remembraunce,
To owe her my seruyce with true perseueraunce.
Come on with me, she sayd, let vs not stonde;
And with that worde she toke me by the honde.

So passyd we forthe into the forsayd place,
With suche communycacyon as came to our mynde;
And then she sayd, Whylis we haue tyme and space

195

To walke where we lyst, let vs somwhat fynde
To pas the tyme with, but let vs wast no wynde,
For ydle iangelers haue but lytill braine;
Wordes be swordes, and hard to call ageine.

Into a felde she brought me wyde and large,
Enwallyd aboute with the stony flint,
Strongly enbateld, moche costious of charge:
To walke on this walle she bed I sholde not stint;
Go softly, she sayd, the stones be full glint.
She went before, and bad me take good holde:
I sawe a thowsande yatis new and olde,

Then questionyd I her what thos yatis ment;
Wherto she answeryd, and breuely me tolde,
How from the est vnto the occident,
And from the sowth vnto the north so colde,
Theis yatis, she sayd, which that ye beholde,
Be issuis and portis from all maner of nacyons;
And seryously she shewyd me ther denominacyons.

They had wrytyng, sum Greke, sum Ebrew,
Some Romaine letters, as I vnderstode;
Some were olde wryten, sum were writen new,
Some carectis of Caldy, sum Frensshe was full good;
But one gate specyally, where as I stode,
Had grauin in it of calcydony a capytall A;
What yate call ye this? and she sayd, Anglia.

196

The beldynge therof was passynge commendable;
Wheron stode a lybbard, crownyd with golde and stones,
Terrible of countenaunce and passynge formydable,
As quikly towchyd as it were flesshe and bones,
As gastly that glaris, as grimly that gronis,
As fersly frownynge as he had ben fyghtyng,
And with his forme foote he shoke forthe this wrytyng:

Formidanda nimis Jovis ultima fulmina tollis:
Unguibus ire parat loca singula livida curvis
Quam modo per Phœbes nummos raptura Celæno;
Arma, lues, luctus, fel, vis, fraus, barbara tellus;
Mille modis erras odium tibi quærere Martis:
Spreto spineto cedat saliunca roseto.

Then I me lent, and loked ouer the wall:
Innumerable people presed to euery gate;
Shet were the gatis; thei might wel knock and cal,
And turne home ageyne, for they cam al to late.
I her demaunded of them and ther astate:
Forsothe, quod she, theys be haskardis and rebawdis,
Dysers, carders, tumblars with gambawdis,

197

Furdrers of loue, with baudry aqueinted,
Brainles blenkardis that blow at the cole,
Fals forgers of mony, for kownnage atteintid,
Pope holy ypocrytis, as they were golde and hole,
Powle hatchettis, that prate wyll at euery ale pole,
Ryot, reueler, railer, brybery, theft,
With other condycyons that well myght be left:

Sume fayne themselfe folys, and wolde be callyd wyse,
Sum medelynge spyes, by craft to grope thy mynde,
Sum dysdanous dawcokkis that all men dispyse,
Fals flaterers that fawne thé, and kurris of kynde
That speke fayre before thé and shrewdly behynde;
Hither they come crowdyng to get them a name,
But hailid they be homwarde with sorow and shame.

With that I herd gunnis russhe out at ones,
Bowns, bowns, bowns! that all they out cryde:
It made sum lympe legged and broisid there bones;
Sum were made peuysshe, porisshly, pynk iyde,
That euer more after by it they were aspyid;
And one ther was there, I wondred of his hap,
For a gun stone, I say, had all to-iaggid his cap,

198

Raggid, and daggid, and cunnyngly cut;
The blaste of the brynston blew away his brayne;
Masid as a marche hare, he ran lyke a scut;
And, sir, amonge all me thought I saw twaine,
The one was a tumblar, that afterwarde againe
Of a dysour, a deuyl way, grew a ientilman,
Pers Prater, the secund, that quarillis beganne;

With a pellit of peuisshenes they had suche a stroke,
That all the dayes of ther lyfe shall styck by ther rybbis:
Foo, foisty bawdias! sum smellid of the smoke;
I saw dyuers that were cariid away thens in cribbis,
Dasyng after dotrellis, lyke drunkardis that dribbis;
Theis titiuyllis with taumpinnis wer towchid and tappid;
Moche mischefe, I hyght you, amonge theem ther happid.

Sometyme, as it semyth, when the mone light
By meanys of a grosely endarkyd clowde
Sodenly is eclipsid in the wynter night,
In lyke maner of wyse a myst did vs shrowde;
But wele may ye thynk I was no thyng prowde
Of that auenturis, whiche made me sore agast.
In derkenes thus dwelt we, tyll at the last

199

The clowdis gan to clere, the myst was rarifiid:
In an herber I saw, brought where I was,
There birdis on the brere sange on euery syde;
With alys ensandid about in compas,
The bankis enturfid with singular solas,
Enrailid with rosers, and vinis engrapid;
It was a new comfort of sorowis escapid.

In the middis a coundight, that coryously was cast,
With pypes of golde engusshing out stremes;
Of cristall the clerenes theis waters far past,
Enswymmyng with rochis, barbellis, and bremis,
Whose skales ensilured again the son beames
Englisterd, that ioyous it was to beholde.
Then furthermore aboute me my syght I reuolde,

Where I saw growyng a goodly laurell tre,
Enuerdurid with leuis contynually grene;
Aboue in the top a byrde of Araby,
Men call a phenix; her wynges bytwene
She bet vp a fyre with the sparkis full kene
With braunches and bowghis of the swete olyue,
Whos flagraunt flower was chefe preseruatyue

Ageynst all infeccyons with cancour enflamyd,
Ageynst all baratows broisiours of olde,

200

It passid all bawmys that euer were namyd,
Or gummis of Saby so derely that be solde:
There blew in that gardynge a soft piplyng colde
Enbrethyng of Zepherus with his pleasant wynde;
All frutis and flowris grew there in there kynde.

Dryades there daunsid vpon that goodly soile,
With the nyne Muses, Pierides by name;
Phillis and Testalis, ther tressis with oyle
Were newly enbybid; and rownd about the same
Grene tre of laurell moche solacyous game
They made, with chapellettes and garlandes grene;
And formest of all dame Flora, the quene

Of somer, so formally she fotid the daunce;
There Cintheus sat twynklyng vpon his harpe stringis;
And Iopas his instrument did auaunce,
The poemis and storis auncient inbryngis
Of Athlas astrology, and many noble thyngis,
Of wandryng of the mone, the course of the sun,
Of men and of bestis, and whereof they begone,

What thynge occasionyd the showris of rayne,
Of fyre elementar in his supreme spere,
And of that pole artike whiche doth remayne
Behynde the taile of Vrsa so clere;

201

Of Pliades he prechid with ther drowsy chere,
Immoysturid with mislyng and ay droppyng dry,
And where the two Trions a man shold aspy,

And of the winter days that hy them so fast,
And of the wynter nyghtes that tary so longe,
And of the somer days so longe that doth last,
And of their shorte nyghtes; he browght in his songe
How wronge was no ryght, and ryght was no wronge:
There was counteryng of carollis in meter and verse
So many, that longe it were to reherse.

Occupacyon to Skelton.

How say ye? is this after your appetite?
May this contente you and your mirry mynde?
Here dwellith pleasure, with lust and delyte;
Contynuall comfort here ye may fynde,
Of welth and solace no thynge left behynde;
All thynge conuenable here is contryuyd,
Wherewith your spiritis may be reuyuid.

Poeta Skelton answeryth.

Questionles no dowte of that ye say;
Jupiter hymselfe this lyfe myght endure;
This ioy excedith all worldly sport and play,
Paradyce this place is of syngular pleasure:
O wele were hym that herof myght be sure,

202

And here to inhabite and ay for to dwell!
But, goodly maystres, one thynge ye me tell.

Occupacyon to Skelton.

Of your demawnd shew me the content,
What it is, and where vpon it standis;
And if there be in it any thyng ment,
Wherof the answere restyth in my handis,
It shall be losyd ful sone out of the bandis
Of scrupulus dout; wherfore your mynde discharge,
And of your wyll the plainnes shew at large.

Poeta Skelton answeryth.

I thanke you, goodly maystres, to me most benynge,
That of your bounte so well haue me assurid;
But my request is not so great a thynge,
That I ne force what though it be discurid;
I am not woundid but that I may be cured;
I am not ladyn of liddyrnes with lumpis,
As dasid doterdis that dreme in their dumpis.

Occupacyon to Skelton.

Nowe what ye mene, I trow I coniect;
Gog gyue you good yere, ye make me to smyle;
Now, be your faith, is not this theffect
Of your questyon ye make all this whyle,
To vnderstande who dwellyth in yone pile,

203

And what blunderar is yonder that playth didil diddil?
He fyndith fals mesuris out of his fonde fiddill.

Interpolata, quæ industriosum postulat interpretem, satira in vatis adversarium.

Tressis agasonis species prior, altera Davi:
Aucupium culicis, limis dum torquet ocellum,
Concipit, aligeras rapit, appetit, aspice, muscas!
Maia quæque fovet, fovet aut quæ Jupiter, aut quæ
Frigida Saturnus, Sol, Mars, Venus, algida Luna,
Si tibi contingat verbo aut committere scripto,
Quam sibi mox tacita sudant præcordia culpa!
Hinc ruit in flammas, stimulans hunc urget et illum,
Invocat ad rixas, vanos tamen excitat ignes,
Labra movens tacitus, rumpantur ut ilia Codro.
[_]

17. 4. 7. 2. 17. 5. 18. 18. 19. 1. 19. 8. 5. 12.

His name for to know if that ye lyst,
Enuyous Rancour truely he hight:
Beware of hym, I warne you; for and ye wist

204

How daungerous it were to stande in his lyght,
Ye wolde not dele with hym, thowgh that ye myght,
For by his deuellysshe drift and graceles prouision
An hole reame he is able to set at deuysion:

For when he spekyth fayrest, then thynketh he moost yll;
Full gloryously can he glose, thy mynde for to fele;
He wyll set men a feightynge and syt hymselfe styll,
And smerke, lyke a smythy kur, at sperkes of steile;
He can neuer leue warke whylis it is wele;
To tell all his towchis it were to grete wonder;
The deuyll of hell and he be seldome asonder.

Thus talkyng we went forth in at a postern gate;
Turnyng on the ryght hande, by a windyng stayre,
She brought me to a goodly chaumber of astate,
Where the noble Cowntes of Surrey in a chayre
Sat honorably, to whome did repaire
Of ladys a beue with all dew reuerence:
Syt downe, fayre ladys, and do your diligence!

Come forth, ientylwomen, I pray you, she sayd;
I haue contryuyd for you a goodly warke,

205

And who can worke beste now shall be asayde;
A cronell of lawrell with verduris light and darke
I haue deuysed for Skelton, my clerke;
For to his seruyce I haue suche regarde,
That of our bownte we wyll hym rewarde:

For of all ladyes he hath the library,
Ther names recountyng in the court of Fame;
Of all gentylwomen he hath the scruteny,
In Fames court reportynge the same;
For yet of women he neuer sayd shame,
But if they were counterfettes that women them call,
That list of there lewdnesse with hym for to brall.

With that the tappettis and carpettis were layd,
Whereon theis ladys softly myght rest,
The saumpler to sow on, the lacis to enbraid;
To weue in the stoule sume were full preste;
With slaiis, with tauellis, with hedellis well drest,
The frame was browght forth with his weuyng pin:
God geue them good spede there warke to begin!

Sume to enbrowder put them in prese,
Well gydyng ther glowtonn to kepe streit theyr sylk,
Sum pirlyng of goldde theyr worke to encrese

206

With fingers smale, and handis whyte as mylk;
With, Reche me that skane of tewly sylk;
And, Wynde me that botowme of such an hew,
Grene, rede, tawny, whyte, blak, purpill, and blew.

Of broken warkis wrought many a goodly thyng,
In castyng, in turnynge, in florisshyng of flowris,
With burris rowth and bottons surffillyng,
In nedill wark raysyng byrdis in bowris,
With vertu enbesid all tymes and howris;
And truly of theyr bownte thus were they bent
To worke me this chapelet by goode aduysemente.

Occupacyon to Skelton.

Beholde and se in your aduertysement
How theis ladys and gentylwomen all
For your pleasure do there endeuourment,
And for your sake how fast to warke they fall:
To your remembraunce wherfore ye must call
In goodly wordes plesauntly comprysid,
That for them some goodly conseyt be deuysid,

With proper captacyons of beneuolence,
Ornatly pullysshid after your faculte,
Sith ye must nedis afforce it by pretence
Of your professyoun vnto vmanyte,
Commensyng your proces after there degre,
To iche of them rendryng thankis commendable,
With sentence fructuous and termes couenable.

207

Poeta Skelton.

Auaunsynge my selfe sum thanke to deserue,
I me determynyd for to sharpe my pen,
Deuoutly arrectyng my prayer to Mynerue,
She to vowchesafe me to informe and ken;
To Mercury also hertely prayed I then,
Me to supporte, to helpe, and to assist,
To gyde and to gouerne my dredfull tremlyng fist.

As a mariner that amasid is in a stormy rage,
Hardly bestad and driuen is to hope
Of that the tempestuows wynde wyll aswage,
In trust wherof comforte his hart doth grope,
From the anker he kuttyth the gabyll rope,
Committyth all to God, and lettyth his shyp ryde;
So I beseke Ihesu now to be my gyde.

To the ryght noble Countes of Surrey.

After all duly ordred obeisaunce,
In humble wyse as lowly as I may,
Vnto you, madame, I make reconusaunce,
My lyfe endurynge I shall both wryte and say,
Recount, reporte, reherse without delay
The passynge bounte of your noble astate,
Of honour and worshyp which hath the formar date:

Lyke to Argyua by iust resemblaunce,
The noble wyfe of Polimites kynge;

208

Prudent Rebecca, of whome remembraunce
The Byble makith; with whos chast lyuynge
Your noble demenour is counterwayng,
Whos passynge bounte, and ryght noble astate,
Of honour and worship it hath the formar date.

The noble Pamphila, quene of the Grekis londe,
Habillimentis royall founde out industriously;
Thamer also wrought with her goodly honde
Many diuisis passynge curyously;
Whome ye represent and exemplify,
Whos passynge bounte, and ryght noble astate,
Of honour and worship it hath the formar date.

As dame Thamarys, whiche toke the kyng of Perce,
Cirus by name, as wrytith the story;
Dame Agrippina also I may reherse
Of ientyll corage the perfight memory;
So shall your name endure perpetually,
Whos passyng bounte, and ryght noble astate,
Of honour and worship it hath the formar date.

To my lady Elisabeth Howarde.

To be your remembrauncer, madame, I am bounde,
Lyke to Aryna, maydenly of porte,
Of vertu and konnyng the well and perfight grounde;
Whome dame Nature, as wele I may reporte,

209

Hath fresshely enbewtid with many a goodly sorte
Of womanly feturis, whos florysshyng tender age
Is lusty to loke on, plesaunte, demure, and sage:

Goodly Creisseid, fayrer than Polexene,
For to enuyue Pandarus appetite;
Troilus, I trowe, if that he had you sene,
In you he wolde haue set his hole delight:
Of all your bewte I suffyce not to wryght;
But, as I sayd, your florisshinge tender age
Is lusty to loke on, plesaunt, demure, and sage.

To my lady Mirriell Howarde.

Mi litell lady I may not leue behinde,
But do her seruyce nedis now I must;
Beninge, curteyse, of ientyll harte and mynde,
Whome fortune and fate playnly haue discust
Longe to enioy plesure, delyght, and lust:
The enbuddid blossoms of roses rede of hew
With lillis whyte your bewte doth renewe.

Compare you I may to Cidippes, the mayd,
That of Aconcyus whan she founde the byll
In her bosome, lorde, how she was afrayd!
The ruddy shamefastnes in her vysage fyll,
Whiche maner of abasshement became her not yll;
Right so, madame, the roses redde of hew
With lillys whyte your bewte dothe renewe.

210

To my lady Anne Dakers of the Sowth.

Zeuxes, that enpicturid fare Elene the quene,
You to deuyse his crafte were to seke;
And if Apelles your countenaunce had sene,
Of porturature which was the famous Greke,
He coude not deuyse the lest poynt of your cheke;
Princes of yowth, and flowre of goodly porte,
Vertu, conyng, solace, pleasure, comforte.

Paregall in honour vnto Penolepe,
That for her trowth is in remembraunce had;
Fayre Diianira surmountynge in bewte;
Demure Diana womanly and sad,
Whos lusty lokis make heuy hartis glad;
Princes of youth, and flowre of goodly porte,
Vertu, connyng, solace, pleasure, comforte.

To mastres Margery Wentworthe.

With margerain ientyll,
The flowre of goodlyhede,
Enbrowdred the mantill
Is of your maydenhede.
Plainly I can not glose;
Ye be, as I deuyne,
The praty primrose,
The goodly columbyne.
With margerain iantill,
The flowre of goodlyhede,

211

Enbrawderyd the mantyll
Is of yowre maydenhede.
Benynge, corteise, and meke,
With wordes well deuysid;
In you, who list to seke,
Be vertus well comprysid.
With margerain iantill,
The flowre of goodlyhede,
Enbrawderid the mantill
Is of yowr maydenhede.

To mastres Margaret Tylney.

I you assure,
Ful wel I know
My besy cure
To yow I owe;
Humbly and low
Commendynge me
To yowre bownte.

As Machareus
Fayre Canace,
So I, iwus,
Endeuoure me
Your name to se
It be enrolde,
Writtin with golde.

Phedra ye may
Wele represent;
Intentyfe ay
And dylygent,

212

No tyme myspent;
Wherfore delyght
I haue to whryght

Of Margarite,
Perle orient,
Lede sterre of lyght,
Moche relucent;
Madame regent
I may you call
Of vertues all.

To maystres Iane Blenner-Haiset.

What though my penne wax faynt,
And hath smale lust to paint?
Yet shall there no restraynt
Cause me to cese,
Amonge this prese,
For to encrese
Yowre goodly name.

I wyll my selfe applye,
Trust me, ententifly,
Yow for to stellyfye;
And so obserue
That ye ne swarue
For to deserue
Immortall fame.

Sith mistres Iane Haiset
Smale flowres helpt to sett
In my goodly chapelet,
Therfore I render of her the memory
Vnto the legend of fare Laodomi.

213

To maystres Isabell Pennell.

By saynt Mary, my lady,
Your mammy and your dady
Brought forth a godely babi!

My mayden Isabell,
Reflaring rosabell,
The flagrant camamell;

The ruddy rosary,
The souerayne rosemary,
The praty strawbery;

The columbyne, the nepte,
The ieloffer well set,
The propre vyolet;

Enuwyd your colowre
Is lyke the dasy flowre
After the Aprill showre;

Sterre of the morow gray,
The blossom on the spray,
The fresshest flowre of May;

Maydenly demure,
Of womanhode the lure;
Wherfore I make you sure,

It were an heuenly helth,
It were an endeles welth,
A lyfe for God hymselfe,

To here this nightingale,
Amonge the byrdes smale,
Warbelynge in the vale,

Dug, dug,
Iug, iug,

214

Good yere and good luk,
With chuk, chuk, chuk, chuk!

To maystres Margaret Hussey.

Mirry Margaret,
As mydsomer flowre,
Ientill as fawcoun
Or hawke of the towre;

With solace and gladnes,
Moche mirthe and no madnes,
All good and no badnes,
So ioyously,
So maydenly,
So womanly
Her demenyng
In euery thynge,
Far, far passynge
That I can endyght,
Or suffyce to wryght
Of mirry Margarete,
As mydsomer flowre,
Ientyll as a fawcoun
Or hawke of the towre;

As pacient and as styll,
And as full of good wyll,
As fayre Isaphill;
Colyaunder,
Swete pomaunder,
Good cassaunder;
Stedfast of thought,

215

Wele made, wele wrought;
Far may be sought
Erst that ye can fynde
So corteise, so kynde
As mirry Margarete,
This midsomer flowre,
Ientyll as fawcoun
Or hawke of the towre.

To mastres Geretrude Statham.

Though ye wer hard hertyd,
And I with you thwartid
With wordes that smartid,
Yet nowe doutles ye geue me cause
To wryte of you this goodli clause,
Maistres Geretrude,
With womanhode endude,
With virtu well renwde.

I wyll that ye shall be
In all benyngnyte
Lyke to dame Pasiphe;
For nowe dowtles ye geue me cause
To wryte of yow this goodly clause,
Maistres Geretrude,
With womanhode endude,
With vertu well renude.

Partly by your councell,
Garnisshed with lawrell
Was my fresshe coronell;
Wherfore doutles ye geue me cause

216

To wryte of you this goodly clause,
Maistres Geretrude,
With womanhode endude,
With vertu well renude.

To maystres Isabell Knyght.

But if I sholde aquyte your kyndnes,
Els saye ye myght
That in me were grete blyndnes,
I for to be so myndles,
And cowde not wryght
Of Isabell Knyght.

It is not my custome nor my gyse
To leue behynde
Her that is bothe womanly and wyse,
And specyally which glad was to deuyse
The menes to fynde
To please my mynde,

In helpyng to warke my laurell grene
With sylke and golde:
Galathea, the made well besene,
Was neuer halfe so fayre, as I wene,
Whiche was extolde
A thowsande folde

By Maro, the Mantuan prudent,
Who list to rede;
But, and I had leyser competent,
I coude shew you suche a presedent
In very dede
Howe ye excede.

217

Occupacyon to Skelton.

Withdrawe your hande, the tyme passis fast;
Set on your hede this laurell whiche is wrought;
Here you not Eolus for you blowyth a blaste?
I dare wele saye that ye and I be sought:
Make no delay, for now ye must be brought
Before my ladys grace, the Quene of Fame,
Where ye must breuely answere to your name.

Skelton Poeta.

Castyng my syght the chambre aboute,
To se how duly ich thyng in ordre was,
Towarde the dore, as we were comyng oute,
I sawe maister Newton sit with his compas,
His plummet, his pensell, his spectacles of glas,
Dyuysynge in pycture, by his industrious wit,
Of my laurell the proces euery whitte.

Forthwith vpon this, as it were in a thought,
Gower, Chawcer, Lydgate, theis thre
Before remembred, me curteisly brought
Into that place where as they left me,
Where all the sayd poetis sat in there degre.
But when they sawe my lawrell rychely wrought,
All other besyde were counterfete they thought

In comparyson of that whiche I ware:
Sume praysed the perle, some the stones bryght;

218

Wele was hym that therevpon myght stare;
Of this warke they had so great delyght,
The silke, the golde, the flowris fresshe to syght,
They seyd my lawrell was the goodlyest
That euer they saw, and wrought it was the best.

In her astate there sat the noble Quene
Of Fame: perceyuynge how that I was cum,
She wonderyd me thought at my laurell grene;
She loked hawtly, and gaue on me a glum:
Thhere was amonge them no worde then but mum,
For eche man herkynde what she wolde to me say;
Wherof in substaunce I brought this away.

The Quene of Fame to Skelton.

My frende, sith ye ar before vs here present
To answere vnto this noble audyence,
Of that shalbe resonde you ye must be content;
And for as moche as, by the hy pretence
That ye haue now thorow preemynence
Of laureat triumphe, your place is here reseruyd,
We wyll vnderstande how ye haue it deseruyd.

Skelton Poeta to the Quene of Fame.

Ryght high and myghty princes of astate,
In famous glory all other transcendyng,
Of your bounte the accustomable rate

219

Hath bene full often and yet is entendyng
To all that to reason is condiscendyng,
But if hastyue credence by mayntenance of myght
Fortune to stande betwene you and the lyght:

But suche euydence I thynke for to enduce,
And so largely to lay for myne indempnite,
That I trust to make myne excuse
Of what charge soeuer ye lay ageinst me;
For of my bokis parte ye shall se,
Whiche in your recordes, I knowe well, be enrolde,
And so Occupacyon, your regester, me tolde.

Forthwith she commaundid I shulde take my place;
Caliope poynted me where I shulde sit:
With that, Occupacioun presid in a pace;
Be mirry, she sayd, be not aferde a whit,
Your discharge here vnder myne arme is it.
So then commaundid she was vpon this
To shew her boke; and she sayd, Here it is.

The Quene of Fame to Occupacioun.

Yowre boke of remembrauns we will now that ye rede;
If ony recordis in noumbyr can be founde,
What Skelton hath compilid and wryton in dede

220

Rehersyng by ordre, and what is the grownde,
Let se now for hym how ye can expounde;
For in owr courte, ye wote wele, his name can not ryse
But if he wryte oftenner than ones or twyse.

Skelton Poeta.

With that of the boke losende were the claspis:
The margent was illumynid all with golden railles
And byse, enpicturid with gressoppes and waspis,
With butterfllyis and fresshe pecoke taylis,
Enflorid with flowris and slymy snaylis;
Enuyuid picturis well towchid and quikly;
It wolde haue made a man hole that had be ryght sekely,

To beholde how it was garnysshyd and bounde,
Encouerde ouer with golde of tissew fyne;
The claspis and bullyons were worth a thousande pounde;
With balassis and charbuncles the borders did shyne;
With aurum musicum euery other lyne
Was wrytin: and so she did her spede,
Occupacyoun, inmediatly to rede.

221

Occupacyoun redith and expoundyth sum parte of Skeltons bokes and baladis with ditis of plesure, in as moche as it were to longe a proces to reherse all by name that he hath compylyd, &c.

Of your oratour and poete laureate
Of Englande, his workis here they begynne:
In primis the Boke of Honorous Astate;
Item the Boke how men shulde fle synne;
Item Royall Demenaunce worshyp to wynne;
Item the Boke to speke well or be styll;
Item to lerne you to dye when ye wyll;

Of Vertu also the souerayne enterlude;
The Boke of the Rosiar; Prince Arturis Creacyoun;
The False Fayth that now goth, which dayly is renude;
Item his Diologgis of Ymagynacyoun;
Item Antomedon of Loues Meditacyoun;

222

Item New Gramer in Englysshe compylyd;
Item Bowche of Courte, where Drede was begyled;

His commedy, Achademios callyd by name;
Of Tullis Familiars the translacyoun;
Item Good Aduysement, that brainles doth blame;
The Recule ageinst Gaguyne of the Frenshe nacyoun;
Item the Popingay, that hath in commendacyoun
Ladyes and gentylwomen suche as deseruyd,
And suche as be counterfettis they be reseruyd;

And of Soueraynte a noble pamphelet;
And of Magnyfycence a notable mater,
How Cownterfet Cowntenaunce of the new get
With Crafty Conueyaunce dothe smater and flater,
And Cloked Collucyoun is brought in to clater
With Courtely Abusyoun; who pryntith it wele in mynde
Moche dowblenes of the worlde therin he may fynde;

223

Of manerly maistres Margery Mylke and Ale;
To her he wrote many maters of myrthe;
Yet, thoughe I say it, therby lyith a tale,
For Margery wynshed, and breke her hinder girth;
Lor, how she made moche of her gentyll birth!
With, Gingirly, go gingerly! her tayle was made of hay;
Go she neuer so gingirly, her honesty is gone away;

Harde to make ought of that is nakid nought;
This fustiane maistres and this giggisse gase,
Wonder is to wryte what wrenchis she wrowght,
To face out her foly with a midsomer mase;
With pitche she patchid her pitcher shuld not crase;
It may wele ryme, but shroudly it doth accorde,
To pyke out honesty of suche a potshorde:

Patet per versus.

Hinc puer hic natus; vir conjugis hinc spoliatus
Jure thori; est fœtus Deli de sanguine cretus;
Hinc magis extollo, quod erit puer alter Apollo;
Si quæris qualis? meretrix castissima talis;
Et relis, et ralis, et reliqualis.

224

A good herynge of thes olde talis;
Fynde no mo suche fro Wanflete to Walis.
Et reliqua omelia de diversis tractatibus.

Of my ladys grace at the contemplacyoun,
Owt of Frenshe into Englysshe prose,
Of Mannes Lyfe the Peregrynacioun,
He did translate, enterprete, and disclose;
The Tratyse of Triumphis of the Rede Rose,
Wherein many storis ar breuely contayned
That vnremembred longe tyme remayned;

The Duke of Yorkis creauncer whan Skelton was,
Now Henry the viij. Kyng of Englonde,
A tratyse he deuysid and browght it to pas,
Callid Speculum Principis, to bere in his honde,
Therin to rede, and to vnderstande
All the demenour of princely astate,
To be our Kyng, of God preordinate;

Also the Tunnynge of Elinour Rummyng,
With Colyn Clowt, Iohnn Iue, with Ioforth Iack;

225

To make suche trifels it asketh sum konnyng,
In honest myrth parde requyreth no lack;
The whyte apperyth the better for the black,
And after conueyauns as the world goos,
It is no foly to vse the Walshemannys hoos;

The vmblis of venyson, the botell of wyne,
To fayre maistres Anne that shuld haue be sent,
He wrate therof many a praty lyne,
Where it became, and whether it went,
And how that it was wantonly spent;
The Balade also of the Mustarde Tarte
Suche problemis to paynt it longyth to his arte;

Of one Adame all a knaue, late dede and gone,—
Dormiat in pace, lyke a dormows!—
He wrate an Epitaph for his graue stone,
With wordes deuoute and sentence agerdows,
For he was euer ageynst Goddis hows,
All his delight was to braule and to barke
Ageynst holy chyrche, the preste, and the clarke;

Of Phillip Sparow the lamentable fate,
The dolefull desteny, and the carefull chaunce,

226

Dyuysed by Skelton after the funerall rate;
Yet sum there be therewith that take greuaunce,
And grudge therat with frownyng countenaunce;
But what of that? hard it is to please all men;
Who list amende it, let hym set to his penne;

For the gyse now adays
Of sum iangelyng iays
Is to discommende
That they can not amende,
Though they wolde spende
All the wittis they haue.

What ayle them to depraue
Phillippe Sparows graue?
His Dirige, her Commendacioun
Can be no derogacyoun,
But myrth and consolacyoun,
Made by protestacyoun,
No man to myscontent
With Phillippis enteremente.

Alas, that goodly mayd,
Why shulde she be afrayd?
Why shulde she take shame
That her goodly name,
Honorably reportid,
Shulde be set and sortyd,
To be matriculate
With ladyes of astate?

227

I coniure thé, Phillip Sparow,
By Hercules that hell did harow,
And with a venomows arow
Slew of the Epidawris
One of the Centawris,
Or Onocentauris,
Or Hippocentauris;
By whos myght and maine
An hart was slayne
With hornnis twayne
Of glitteryng golde;
And the apples of golde
Of Hesperides withholde,
And with a dragon kepte
That neuer more slepte,
By merciall strength
He wan at length;
And slew Gerione
With thre bodys in one;
With myghty corrage
Adauntid the rage
Of a lyon sauage;
Of Diomedis stabyll
He brought out a rabyll
Of coursers and rounsis
With lepes and bounsis;
And with myghty luggyng,
Wrastelynge and tuggyng,
He pluckid the bull
By the hornid scull,

228

And offred to Cornucopia;
And so forthe per cetera:

Also by Hectates bowre
In Plutos gastly towre;

By the vgly Eumenides,
That neuer haue rest nor ease;

By the venemows serpent
That in hell is neuer brente,
In Lerna the Grekis fen
That was engendred then;

By Chemeras flamys,
And all the dedely namys
Of infernall posty,
Where soulis fry and rosty;

By the Stigiall flode,
And the stremes wode
Of Cochitos bottumles well;

By the feryman of hell,
Caron with his berde hore,
That rowyth with a rude ore,
And with his frownsid fortop
Gydith his bote with a prop:

I coniure Phillippe, and call,
In the name of Kyng Saull;
Primo Regum expres,
He bad the Phitones
To witche craft her to dres,
And by her abusiouns,

229

And damnable illusiouns
Of meruelous conclusiouns,
And by her supersticiouns
Of wonderfull condiciouns,
She raysed vp in that stede
Samuell that was dede;
But whether it were so,
He were idem in numero,
The selfe same Samuell,
How be it to Saull he did tell
The Philistinis shulde hym askry,
And the next day he shulde dye,
I wyll my selfe discharge
To letterd men at large:

But, Phillip, I coniure thé
Now by theys names thre,
Diana in the woddis grene,
Luna that so bryght doth shene,
Proserpina in hell,
That thou shortely tell,
And shew now vnto me
What the cause may be
Of this perplexyte!

Inferias, Philippe, tuas Scroupe pulchra Joanna
Instanter petiit: cur nostri carminis illam
Nunc pudet? est sero; minor est infamia vero.

230

Then such that haue disdaynyd
And of this worke complaynyd,
I pray God they be paynyd
No wors than is contaynyd
In verses two or thre
That folowe as ye may se:

Luride, cur, livor, volucris pia funera damnas?
Talia te rapiant rapiunt quæ fata volucrem!
Est tamen invidia mors tibi continua:

The Gruntyng and the groynninge of the gronnyng swyne;
Also the Murnyng of the mapely rote;
How the grene couerlet sufferd grete pine,
When the flye net was set for to catche a cote,
Strake one with a birdbolt to the hart rote;
Also a deuoute Prayer to Moyses hornis,
Metrifyde merely, medelyd with scornis;

Of paiauntis that were played in Ioyows Garde;
He wrate of a muse throw a mud wall;
How a do cam trippyng in at the rere warde,
But, lorde, how the parker was wroth with all!
And of Castell Aungell the fenestrall,

231

Glittryng and glistryng and gloryously glasid,
It made sum mens eyn dasild and dasid;

The Repete of the recule of Rosamundis bowre,
Of his pleasaunt paine there and his glad distres
In plantynge and pluckynge a propre ieloffer flowre;
But how it was, sum were to recheles,
Not withstandynge it is remedeles;
What myght she say? what myght he do therto?
Though Iak sayd nay, yet Mok there loste her sho;

How than lyke a man he wan the barbican
With a sawte of solace at the longe last;
The colour dedely, swarte, blo, and wan
Of Exione, her lambis dede and past,
The cheke and the nek but a shorte cast;
In fortunis fauour euer to endure,
No man lyuyng, he sayth, can be sure;

232

How dame Minerua first found the olyue tre, she red
And plantid it there where neuer before was none; vnshred
An hynde vnhurt hit by casuelte, not bled
Recouerd whan the forster was gone; and sped
The hertis of the herd began for to grone, and fled
The howndes began to yerne and to quest; and dred
With litell besynes standith moche rest; in bed

His Epitomis of the myller and his ioly make;
How her ble was bryght as blossom on the spray,
A wanton wenche and wele coude bake a cake;
The myllar was loth to be out of the way,
But yet for all that, be as be may,
Whether he rode to Swaffhamm or to Some,
The millar durst not leue his wyfe at home;

233

With, Wofully arayd, and Shamefully betrayd,
Of his makyng deuoute medytacyons;
Vexilla regis he deuysid to be displayd;
With Sacris solemniis, and other contemplacyouns,
That in them comprisid consyderacyons;
Thus passyth he the tyme both nyght and day,
Sumtyme with sadnes, sumtyme with play;

Though Galiene and Dioscorides,
With Ipocras, and mayster Auycen,
By there phesik doth many a man ease,
And though Albumasar can thé enforme and ken
What constellacions ar good or bad for men,
Yet whan the rayne rayneth and the gose wynkith,
Lytill wotith the goslyng what the gose thynkith;

He is not wyse ageyne the streme that stryuith;
Dun is in the myre, dame, reche me my spur;

234

Nedes must he rin that the deuyll dryuith;
When the stede is stolyn, spar the stable dur;
A ientyll hownde shulde neuer play the kur;
It is sone aspyed where the thorne prikkith;
And wele wotith the cat whos berde she likkith;

With Marione clarione, sol, lucerne,
Graund juir, of this Frenshe prouerbe olde,
How men were wonte for to discerne
By candelmes day what wedder shuld holde;
But Marione clarione was caught with a colde colde, anglice a cokwolde,
And all ouercast with cloudis vnkynde,
This goodly flowre with stormis was vntwynde;

This ieloffer ientyll, this rose, this lylly flowre,
This primerose pereles, this propre vyolet,
This columbyne clere and fresshest of coloure,
This delycate dasy, this strawbery pretely set,
With frowarde frostis, alas, was all to-fret!
But who may haue a more vngracyous lyfe
Than a chyldis birde and a knauis wyfe?

Thynke what ye wyll
Of this wanton byll;

235

By Mary Gipcy,
Quod scripsi, scripsi:
Uxor tua, sicut vitis,
Habetis in custodiam,
Custodite sicut scitis,
Secundum Lucam, &c.

Of the Bonehoms of Ashrige besyde Barkamstede,
That goodly place to Skelton moost kynde,
Where the sank royall is, Crystes blode so rede,
Wherevpon he metrefyde after his mynde;
A pleasaunter place than Ashrige is, harde were to fynde,
As Skelton rehersith, with wordes few and playne,
In his distichon made on verses twaine;
Fraxinus in clivo frondetque viret sine rivo,
Non est sub divo similis sine flumine vivo;

The Nacyoun of Folys he left not behynde;
Item Apollo that whirllid vp his chare,
That made sum to snurre and snuf in the wynde;
It made them to skip, to stampe, and to stare,
Whiche, if they be happy, haue cause to beware
In ryming and raylyng with hym for to mell,
For drede that he lerne them there A, B, C, to spell.

236

Poeta Skelton.

With that I stode vp, halfe sodenly afrayd;
Suppleyng to Fame, I besought her grace,
And that it wolde please her, full tenderly I prayd,
Owt of her bokis Apollo to rase.
Nay, sir, she sayd, what so in this place
Of our noble courte is ones spoken owte,
It must nedes after rin all the worlde aboute.

God wote, theis wordes made me full sad;
And when that I sawe it wolde no better be,
But that my peticyon wolde not be had,
What shulde I do but take it in gre?
For, by Juppiter and his high mageste,
I did what I cowde to scrape out the scrollis,
Apollo to rase out of her ragman rollis.

Now hereof it erkith me lenger to wryte;
To Occupacyon I wyll agayne resorte,
Whiche redde on still, as it cam to her syght,
Rendrynge my deuisis I made in disporte
Of the Mayden of Kent callid Counforte,
Of Louers testamentis and of there wanton wyllis,
And how Iollas louyd goodly Phillis;

237

Diodorus Siculus of my translacyon
Out of fresshe Latine into owre Englysshe playne,
Recountyng commoditis of many a straunge nacyon;
Who redyth it ones wolde rede it agayne;
Sex volumis engrosid together it doth containe:
But when of the laurell she made rehersall,
All orators and poetis, with other grete and smale,

A thowsande thowsande, I trow, to my dome,
Triumpha, triumpha! they cryid all aboute;
Of trumpettis and clariouns the noyse went to Rome;
The starry heuyn, me thought, shoke with the showte;
The grownde gronid and tremblid, the noyse was so stowte:
The Quene of Fame commaundid shett fast the boke;
And therwith sodenly out of my dreme I woke.

238

My mynde of the grete din was somdele amasid,
I wypid myne eyne for to make them clere;
Then to the heuyn sperycall vpwarde I gasid,
Where I saw Ianus, with his double chere,
Makynge his almanak for the new yere;
He turnyd his tirikkis, his voluell ran fast:
Good luk this new yere! the olde yere is past.

Mens tibi sit consulta, petis? sic consule menti;
Æmula sit Jani, retro speculetur et ante.

Skeltonis alloquitur librum suum.

Ite, Britannorum lux O radiosa, Britannum
Carmina nostra pium vestrum celebrate Catullum!
Dicite, Skeltonis vester Adonis erat;
Dicite, Skeltonis vester Homerus erat.
Barbara cum Latio pariter jam currite versu;
Et licet est verbo pars maxima texta Britanno,
Non magis incompta nostra Thalia patet,
Est magis inculta nec mea Calliope.
Nec vos pœniteat livoris tela subire,
Nec vos pœniteat rabiem tolerare caninam,
Nam Maro dissimiles non tulit ille minas,
Immunis nec enim Musa Nasonis erat.

Lenuoy.

Go, litill quaire,
Demene you faire;

239

Take no dispare,
Though I you wrate
After this rate
In Englysshe letter;
So moche the better
Welcome shall ye
To sum men be:
For Latin warkis
Be good for clerkis;
Yet now and then
Sum Latin men
May happely loke
Vpon your boke,
And so procede
In you to rede,
That so indede
Your fame may sprede
In length and brede.
But then I drede
Ye shall haue nede
You for to spede
To harnnes bryght,
By force of myght,
Ageyne enuy
And obloquy:
And wote ye why?
Not for to fyght
Ageyne dispyght,
Nor to derayne
Batayle agayne

240

Scornfull disdayne,
Nor for to chyde,
Nor for to hyde
You cowardly;
But curteisly
That I haue pende
For to deffend,
Vnder the banner
Of all good manner,
Vnder proteccyon
Of sad correccyon,
With toleracyon
And supportacyon
Of reformacyon,
If they can spy
Circumspectly
Any worde defacid
That myght be rasid,
Els ye shall pray
Them that ye may
Contynew still
With there good wyll.

Ad serenissimam Majestatem Regiam, pariter cum Domino
Cardinali, Legato a latere honorificatissimo, &c.

Lautre Enuoy.

Perge, liber, celebrem pronus regem venerare
Henricum octavum, resonans sua præmia laudis.

241

Cardineum dominum pariter venerando salutes,
Legatum a latere, et fiat memor ipse precare
Prebendæ, quam promisit mihi credere quondam,
Meque suum referas pignus sperare salutis
Inter spemque metum.

Twene hope and drede
My lyfe I lede,
But of my spede
Small sekernes:
Howe be it I rede
Both worde and dede
Should be agrede
In noblenes:
Or els, &c.

242

ADMONET SKELTONIS OMNES ARBORES DARE LOCUM VIRIDI LAURO JUXTA GENUS SUUM.

Fraxinus in silvis, altis in montibus ornus,
Populus in fluviis, abies, patulissima fagus,
Lenta salix, platanus, pinguis ficulnea ficus,
Glandifera et quercus, pirus, esculus, ardua pinus,
Balsamus exudans, oleaster, oliva Minervæ,
Juniperus, buxus, lentiscus cuspide lenta,
Botrigera et domino vitis gratissima Baccho,
Ilex et sterilis labrusca perosa colonis,
Mollibus exudans fragrantia thura Sabæis
Thus, redolens Arabis pariter notissima myrrha,
Et vos, O coryli fragiles, humilesque myricæ,
Et vos, O cedri redolentes, vos quoque myrti,
Arboris omne genus viridi concedite lauro!

Prennees en gre The Laurelle.

243

EN PARLAMENT A PARIS.

Iustice est morte,
Et Veryte sommielle;
Droit et Raison
Sont alez aux pardons:
Lez deux premiers
Nul ne les resuelle;
Et lez derniers
Sount corrumpus par dons.

OUT OF FRENSHE INTO LATYN.

Abstulit atra dies Astræam; cana Fides sed
Somno pressa jacet; Jus iter arripuit,
Et secum Ratio proficiscens limite longo:
Nemo duas primas evigilare parat;
Atque duo postrema absunt, et munera tantum
Impediunt nequeunt quod remeare domum.

OWT OF LATYNE INTO ENGLYSSHE.

Justyce now is dede;
Trowth with a drowsy hede,
As heuy as the lede,
Is layd down to slepe,
And takith no kepe;
And Ryght is ouer the fallows
Gone to seke hallows,
With Reason together,
No man can tell whether:

244

No man wyll vndertake
The first twayne to wake;
And the twayne last
Be withholde so fast
With mony, as men sayne,
They can not come agayne.

A grant tort,
Foy dort.

Here endith a ryght delectable tratyse vpon a goodly Garlonde or Chapelet of Laurell, dyuysed by mayster Skelton, Poete Laureat.